"...it reminds us of the wildlife we see on our walks in Suffolk."

Geoffrey Bickley exhibited with us 2 years ago in a show called All I Want For Christmas. He delighted visitors with his beautiful carved wooden bird sculptures including the one pictured below from visitor Deb Lewis; "Our oyster catcher hangs in our conservatory. We love it because it reminds us of the wildlife we see on our walks in Suffolk."

A word from the maker:

"I have worked with wood most of my life having trained as a Carpenter and have been carving since 1993 specialising in birds. A lot of my time is spent on the beach looking for interesting pieces of wood on which to mount my carvings; often the driftwood itself can spark a suggestion of a particular bird. I use pine to carve the birds. Living near Hayle Estuary is a great inspiration for me. Here I can observe the birds in their natural surroundings. I first draw them in groups producing several different poses; this helps my work to flow. In 2004 my work was accepted at the South West Academy of Fine and Applied Art, Exeter and was a Prize Winner. In 2012 my work was also shortlisted at the Mall Gallery London from a worldwide competition; The David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year."

Do you have a story of a treasured piece purchased from us that you'd like to share? Send us a photograph and your story to craftcentre-leeds@btconnect.com and we'll do the rest. Thanks to everyone so far who have contributed to our anniversary campaigns, it's greatly appreciated as we continue to celebrate #35years.